The journey of a Business Owner: when to hire an Interim Marketing Director

For business owners and sales leaders wondering when (and why) marketing leadership can unlock growth.

The Early Days: doing it all yourself

Running a business—especially in the early years—is an all-hands-on-deck affair. As the founder or business leader, you’ve probably worn every hat: CEO, sales rep, marketer, customer service lead, and maybe even office IT support.

In those formative stages, your personal network and word-of-mouth likely generated enough traction to sustain the business. You knew your customers, your product, and your market inside out. But as your business grows, those informal systems begin to strain. Leads dry up. Sales cycles stretch. Competitors gain ground.

That’s when many business owners begin to ask: “What’s missing?”

Growth plateau or missed potential?

You’re not alone. According to the Federation of Small Businesses, 60% of UK SMEs cite marketing and customer acquisition as one of their top growth challenges. Yet, fewer than half have a dedicated senior marketer in place.

Often, the warning signs creep in:

• Your sales team is chasing cold or unqualified leads
• You’re relying too heavily on referrals or one marketing channel
• Your website traffic is flat or declining
• You’re unsure what’s working—or what isn’t—in your marketing spend
• Your competitors are gaining visibility, even though your product/service is just as strong

At this point, many business leaders recognise the need for strategic marketing direction but aren’t ready for the cost or commitment of a full-time hire. This is where an Interim Marketing Director can be transformative.

What is an Interim Marketing Director?

An Interim Marketing Director is a senior-level expert brought in temporarily to assess, lead, and accelerate your marketing function. They often work part-time or on a project basis and are laser-focused on outcomes, not overhead.

Think of them as a “rent-a-CMO“—experienced enough to build your marketing engine from scratch, align it with sales, and lay the foundation for future growth.

According to a 2024 report by Interim Partners, businesses using interim executives for strategic roles saw 33% faster implementation of growth initiatives compared to those hiring full-time from scratch.

When is the right time to hire one?

Whether you’re launching a new business or leading an established operation, there are key moments when the right marketing leadership can unlock the next level of growth. As Verne Harnish outlines in Scaling Up, one of the key obstacles to scaling is lack of strategic clarity and execution capability in marketing—especially in businesses that have outgrown founder-led selling.

Here are some pivotal points in your journey—start-up or existing business—when an interim marketing leader can make a measurable difference:

1.You’re preparing for investment or a sale

Strong marketing performance and brand value can significantly impact your business valuation. An interim director can rapidly tighten your brand, positioning, and performance metrics to impress investors.

2. Sales have outpaced marketing—or vice versa

If your sales team is shouting for better leads or your marketing agency isn’t delivering ROI, you need someone senior to bridge the gap and align efforts. Interim leaders bring clarity and accountability.

3. You’re entering a new market or launching a new product

These are make-or-break moments that need more than guesswork. An interim can build go-to-market strategies, manage messaging, and ensure your launch doesn’t fall flat.

4. You’re stuck in tactical chaos

If you’re dabbling in PPC, sending a monthly newsletter, and trying out LinkedIn posts—but it’s all disconnected—an interim director can audit, streamline, and create a cohesive plan tied to revenue goals.

5. You’re already established—but growth has stalled

For many existing SMEs, growth plateaus not because of the product, but because of fragmented or outdated marketing. This is a classic signal that it’s time to professionalise the function and bring in expert leadership.

The power of strategic marketing leadership

Hiring a senior marketing professional isn’t just about “getting more leads.” It’s about building a scalable, measurable marketing engine.

Research by Deloitte shows that companies with a strong marketing leader grow revenue 2.5 times faster than those without. Meanwhile, HubSpot reports that organisations with clear marketing leadership are 3x more likely to report effective lead generation processes.

An Interim Marketing Director brings more than ideas. They bring:

• A structured, strategic marketing plan
• A clear understanding of your ideal customer
• Defined goals and KPIs tied to business impact
• An integrated view of digital and offline channels
• The ability to build or coach your internal team
• Vendor and agency management
• Reporting that makes sense to your board and investors

SME success with interim support

Let’s look at a common example. A £5m B2B services company saw new business slow down, despite solid client satisfaction and referrals. The MD knew they needed to scale but couldn’t justify a full-time CMO.

They brought in an Interim Marketing Director for 2 days a week over 6 months. During that time:

• The business repositioned itself around a more valuable niche
• Lead generation campaigns were launched with a 9x return
• Sales and marketing alignment improved conversion rates by 22%
• A junior marketer was upskilled and retained to manage campaigns ongoing

The result? A scalable marketing system and a significant uplift in pipeline—without committing to a full-time hire.

How much does it cost?

Rates vary based on experience and scope, but in the UK, an interim marketing director typically costs between £600–£1,000 per day, or £3,000–£6,000 per month for a part-time engagement.

That may sound like a lot—but compare it to the average salary of a full-time marketing director (£85k+ plus benefits), and it becomes clear: this is an agile, lower-risk route to senior marketing firepower.

What to look for in an Interim Marketing Director

Not all marketing professionals are created equal. When hiring interim support, look for someone who:

• Has held senior roles across different businesses or industries
• Speaks both commercial and creative languages fluently
• Can show evidence of ROI or pipeline growth
• Understands B2B (if that’s your model), buyer psychology, and sales integration
• Has the emotional intelligence to fit in quickly and build internal trust

Getting started

If you’re feeling the pressure to grow but unsure how to get the marketing engine humming, start here:

1. Audit your current marketing activity. Where are your leads coming from? What’s converting? What’s not?
2. Talk to your sales team. What are they missing? Where do good leads come from?
3. Set a growth goal. Work backwards from revenue targets to determine how many leads or deals you need.
4. Speak to an interim. Even a short discovery call can clarify what’s possible, and whether it’s a good fit for your needs

Leadership drives growth and pace

Your journey as a business owner is about knowing when to hold the reins—and when to bring in outside expertise. Marketing can no longer be reactive or “nice to have.” It’s a commercial function that, when led strategically, can transform your pipeline and business value.

As Verne Harnish points out in Scaling Up, scaling a business is about building the right team to solve the right problems at the right time. An Interim Marketing Director might just be the missing piece that gets you unstuck—and growing again.